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BUTTON PASTBNBR.l

No. 293,910. Patented Peb. 19, 1384.

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UNTTEE STATES t PATENT OEETCE.

GEORGE W. PRENTIOE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON-FASTENER.

SPECIFICTION forming part of Letters Patent No.293,910, dated February 19, 1884. Application filed December 31, H383.v (No modelJ To aZZ whom, t may concer/fb:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PRENTICE,

l a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l ton-fasteners having a base or table and several prongs bent at right angles thereto, and in which the shank-eye of a button engages one of said prongs, which isv usually termed the button-prong, While the others are referred to as the holding-prongs, the several prongs being caused to penetrate and be clinched to the shoe or fabric, to secure the button in place. A l l In the manufacture of such button-fasteners it is found that because of the thinness of the metal sheet or stock from which said fasteners are formed, and the sha-rp bend given to the holding-prongs, to dispose them in a plane at rightangles to the table, the metal cracks at vthe point of bend in said prongs, thereby materially weakening the fasteners and rendering them, in many instances, unfit for use. More especially is this the case when the metal stock is somewhatA short or brittle. Such weakened portions .of the fastener are additionally weakened in resisting the strain put upon them when the ends bf the holdi-ngprongs are swaged or tapered to a point to adapt them to readily penetrate the material to which the fastener is to be secured.

.The object of my invention is to provide a strong reliable button-fastener, which, when adapted for use, shall not have the defects hereinbefore mentioned, and which shall require in its manufacture but a small additional l Figure l is a perspective view of my imvprovedbutton-fastener; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the blank from which the fastener is formed, presenting the reverse or under surface to view, Fig. 3, aperspective view of a sheet-metal strip from which the blanks are cut, said strip showing a blank cut therefrom; Fig. 4, a transverse section thereof on line x x of Fig, 3; and Fig. 5 shows a modification of my improved button-fastener.

In the present instance my improved button-fastener consists of a table, a, a buttoncarrying prong, b, projecting from one side or edge of the table, and two substantially-parallel holding-prongs, b', projecting from the opposite side or edge Vof said table, the whole formed in one piece from the blank shown in Fig. 2, by bending the'holding-prongs b at right angles to the table, and, by forming an eye or staple, c, in the button-prong near its heel, and bending said prong in the usual manner. The blank from which the fastener is formed is cut from a sheet-metal strip, whose thickness varies in cross-section, substantially as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the button-prong b and the central portion of the table a are formed from the thinner or central portion of the strip, and the holding-prongs b and the outer portion of said table are formed from the thicker or outer portions of said strip.

VBy this formation of parts the holding-prongs are materially strengthened at the point of bend, to prevent cracking or injury to the metal when they are being bent; and, further, thebends in said holding-prongs b will not be so sharp as heretofore, but will be more gradual or rounding,becaus'e ofthe additional thickness of metal at such points. Again, the table contiguous tothe bends in the holdingprongs is strengthened, which is a desirable feature, and the increase of metal in the holding-prongs, more especially at the point of bend, permits a true taper to be given to said prongs from the point of bend to theI ends thereof, for the reason that the metal at theA IOO increasing` its bulk or rendering it heavy or clumsy at points where it should he lightly and neatly made.

AS shown inthe inoditieation, Fig. 5, the form or configuration of iny buttoniastener may he Changed or inodilied to a considerable extent and yet retain the essential feature ol' my invention. 1

It will be noticed that while the table is i Composed ol" metal ot varying thickness the .made strong and durable without materially l face of said table, or that portion presented to View when the fastener is seeured to a shoe or fabric to hold a button thereon, presents a plane surface, as in the ordinary fastener, while the under surface, or that portion which is 'brought in Contact with the material, is uneven, or what might be terined Corrugated f 'When the fastener is seeurely elinehed to the material, the said material, because ot its yielding quality, is lnade to conform to the irregular or uneven under surface of tl1ei`astener, which thereby tends to hohl said fastener more lirmly in plaoe.

l. An improved one-piece sheetanetal buttolrfastener, consisting ol` a table and several prongs bent at an angle thereto, with one ol' said prongs of thinner nietalthan the remning ing,` prongs, and adapted to Carry a button, for the purpose set forth` 2. An improved onepieee sheet-metal but- 1 ton-lastener, consisting of a table 11a-ving dit"- l'erent thicknesses of metal, and several prongs projecting i'roin said table and bent at an angie thereto, with one of said prongs of the thiekness eorresponding` to the thinnest portion of the table, andadapted to engage the shank-eye of a button, for the purpose set forth.

3. A lmtton-i'astener consisting, essentially, of a table having a plane upper surface and an uneven or corrugated under surface, and provided with several prongs integral therewith and bent at an angle thereto, and one 0f said prongs adapted to engage the shank-eye oi' a button, for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein-deseribed button-fastener, Consisting, essentially, of a table the metal of which va ries in thickness, and abutton-prong and two holding-prongs, the said button and holdingv prongs projeeting1 troni opposite sides of the table and bent at an angle thereto, with the button-prong ot' a thickness corresponding* to the thinnest portion of the table, and the holding-prongs corresponding in thickness to the thickest portion ofthe said table, all as set forth, and for the purpose speeiiied.

In testimony `whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sul seribing witnesses,

GEORGE XV. llllNTlGE.

fitnessesz J'As. F. lniYi-nz., FRANKLIN A. SMITH, Jr. 

